Cooling Miss Juvia
by thirdorigin
Summary: Juvia is sick, Gray takes care of her and fluffity fluff ensues.


**Author's note:** I know there's probably a ton of Gruvia fever stories, but hey, why not make it two tons?

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><p>„Juvia? Hey, do you hear me?" Gray sat on the bed by the lying girl, leaning over her. Erza told him she was sick, but he still expected her to be more conscious than that. When he came to her room, however, she was just lying limp in her bed with flushed cheeks, glossy eyes and a very hot forehead, all covered with sweat.<p>

„Hey? Say something," he pleaded. She was generally looking in his direction, but her eyes didn't really seem to focus. „Ground to Juvia Lockser. Please adjust your course." He waved a hand in front of them and it seem that they moved, following the motion, but she still didn't respond. Maybe he just needed a stronger stimulus to pull her out of the trance.

„There's a sale of Gray merchandise on Max's stand," he tried, but nothing happened. Guess she had it all already anyway, judging by her room's decor. He sighed. „Master said that all the girls which won't be in the guildhall in an hour will have to wear a bunny suit for a month," he said. She frowned slightly and he thought it worked, but she still didn't say anything.

Resigned, he just pressed his hand to her forehead and started to cool her down with his magic. „Are you just sleeping with your eyes open?" He asked, but then she pressed her forehead more into his hand.

„Gray-sama..." she moaned quietly, looking at him more straight than before. „Are you real?"

„Yeah, I think so." he assured her, surprised. „Are you okay? Do you need something?"

„Juvia thought she was having hallucinations..." she whispered, reaching for his hand and moving it to cover her whole face. „Juvia's eyes are so hot..." she whined.

„It's all right," he said softly. „I'll cool you down."

„Gray-sama was saying silly things..." she complained, her voice muffled by his palm.

Gray scratched his head. „Yeah, sorry - "

Her eyes flicked open rapidly. „Gray-sama!" she said, clearly distressed. „Was it true what you said about bunny suit? Juvia has to get up - "

„No, no!" he pushed her down gently. „I just made this up, sorry." He looked at his knees. „You would look good in it anyway," he mumbled.

„What did you say, Gray-sama..?"

„Nothing, really," he brushed away streaks of hair that got sticked to her face. „Just that you are very hot." That was true, in a way. She blinked.

„Gray-sama... Where are we?"

Was she that confused? „In your room, in Fairy Hills," he told her. „Don't you recognize it?"

„No, Juvia thought so, but... how can you be here?"

Gray chuckled. „Don't worry about that," he said. Truth was, Erza was so concerned about the girl, she not only promised him to look the other way, but even gave him directions to her room. „Unless _you_ don't want me here." That would be rather strange, but maybe she just wouldn't want him to see her in that state.

Juvia moaned softly. „Don't go," she pleaded. „Gray-sama..."

„I won't." he promised. He was too worried to let her unattended, and he wanted to help her as much as he could. „Though actually... Maybe I'll get you something to drink." He took a handkerchief from a nearby table, placed it over her forehead and covered it with a thin layer of ice.

„I'll be back in a minute," he told her.

In a minute all the ice was already melted down and she maneuvered the cloth closer to her mouth, sucking the moist from its corner. Tiny stream of water ran down her reddened cheek.

„Oi, Juvia," he scolded her. „You're a mess."

„Sorry..." she said weakly. „Gray-sama..."

„Shh," he hushed her, whisking her from under the quilts and helping her to sit up. She leaned into him, limp like a doll, shuddering. When he brought a glass of water to her lips, she put her hand over it too, but wasn't really able to hold it. „Drink everything," he told her. „There's still more. Good girl."

Juvia sighed deeply and pressed herself into him, closing her exhausted eyes. Gray felt a wave of tenderness towards her – she was so helpless now, confused, vulnerable and overall very childlike. He coaxed her gently to lie down again and her eyes fluttered open, anxious.

„Don't go..." she pleaded.

„I'm not going anywhere," he promised, stretching on the bed beside her, and hoping Erza wouldn't come storming here. „See?" He pulled her closer, emanating mild chill from his whole body and putting his hand to her head again. She smiled weakly and leaned into him, cooing contentedly into his chest.

„Ah, Gray-sama is so cool." she whispered.

„Yeah," he said, absurdly proud of himself. „Hope it helps... Hey, what are you doing?" Juvia crawled all over him, placing herself flat on his chest, her legs cradling his thigh and her arms around his neck. „Do I look like a body pillow to you?" He tried to delicately push her away, but she didn't move at all. „Juvia!" He was suddenly getting very aware of how soft and big her breasts were, and how they were clad only into the thin fabric of her tiny nightgown – much more aware than any proper gentleman would like. He tried to crawl out from under her, but then she nuzzled his neck and he felt her breath getting deeper and slower, and soon he understood she has managed to fall asleep.

„You're impossible," he scolded her sleeping form.

He still needed to cool her, though, so he embraced her gently and poured his magic into her head. „You shouldn't just throw yourself at people like that," he informed her, but without much ire. He didn't want to disturb her sleep, and there was also something strangely sweet in a way she instinctively clutched to him, so he resigned to his fate and just let her be, embarrassed as he was.

Countless minutes passed, Juvia breathed quietly in his neck, and Gray started to doze off himself in that awful heat she was emanating. She didn't let him though, stirring restlessly. „No..." she murmured. He looked at her, surprised, but she seemed still asleep. „Juvia didn't want to ruin it... She just didn't want to be alone..."

„Why are you having silly dreams like that?" He asked, stroking her messy hair. She pressed her face more into his neck. „You're not alone. You have a family now."

„Family..." she mumbled and he felt her relaxing slightly. „Gray-sama is Juvia's family..."

„Erm... Yeah, me too... It's not really what I meant, but..." he muttered.

Juvia stirred even more and her muscles tensed. „Oh?" she said, raising her head, her eyes half-lidded and cloudy from sleep. „Gray-sama..." she looked at him, confused, then she squealed and hopped away from him. „Gray-sama is – and Juvia -" she looked down at her flimsy nightgown and quickly grasped a blanket to cover herself. „In bed - " she said, seemingly terrified. „What – why – how - " She looked around, totally flustered. „We - we – we..."

„Hey, calm down." He said in a soothing voice, sitting up to face her and grasping her arms gently, to catch her attention. „You are just sick, and I'm taking care of you, that's all."

„T-t-taking care?"

Gray smiled at her reassuringly. „The truth is, I was cooling down your fever, and you've fallen asleep on me." He touched her forehead – it wasn't as hot as before. „It seems better now. That's good."

Juvia looked at him doubtfully.

„Really, Juvia. Don't look at me like that."

„Really?"

„Really. We talked before, don't you remember? About bunny suits and stuff."

„Ah." Juvia frowned, but it quickly melted into an expression of sadness. „Juvia has problems to discriminate what's real and what is not..."

„Yeah, I can tell..." he admitted. „But don't worry about it now. You are just really tired. It will get better soon." He stroked her head and she leaned into his hand like a ruffled kitten. „I'll make something to eat," he decided. „You just rest."

He already put water to boil and started to search for something to assemble some sandwiches, when Juvia came in, loosely enveloped in her blanket.

„Do you need help, Gray-sama?" she asked.

„What are you doing here? You were supposed to lie down." He scolded her.

„But Gray-sama is Juvia's guest..." she said weakly, leaning on the door frame. „Juvia cannot just let him do everything for her..."

„No, Juvia, go to bed already." he persisted. „Shoo."

She ignored his words and went further into the kitchen instead. „Gray-sama, do you even know where the cutlery is - "

„I'll figure it out," he assured her. „While you will be properly resting." He grasped her and wrapped in the blanket, until she resembled a cocoon, not listening to her frail squeals of protest. „I bet you just don't believe I can cook anything, do you?" He asked politely, taking her in his arms and carrying to the bed.

„No, Juvia just..." She got completely flustered again.

„Juvia should rest." He told the girl and put a heap of comforters on top of her, hoping it will prevent her from wandering around for some time. „I'll be back soon."

This time she stayed put though, like a good girl. She only sticked her head out of her blanket asylum when he came back with sandwiches and cups full of tea. „Thank you, Gray-sama," she said, looking rather embarrassed.

„It's okay." he said. „Really. Do you want to watch something while we'll be eating?"

She nodded, looking unsure.

„What do you want to watch?" He asked, whisking out his lacrima-web viewer. „It can be anything, just tell me."

„Umm..." she hesitated.

„Really, whatever you want." he told her.

„There's this show..." she started. "It's like Grand Magic Games, only it's about cooking. But Gray-sama probably wouldn't like it..."

„Nah, I'm okay." he smiled, wondering how can they be fighting with food. Like, making dessert contest or what? He sat on the bed by her side, found the show and put his viewer in front of them. „There."

There really was a dessert contest. Gray scratched his head. „Juvia? What the hell is crème brûlée?"

She put her sandwich down to explain it, but it puzzled him even more. „Why would you like to burn a custard?" he squinted at the girl, and she sighed.

„It's French, okay? It's like ancient ninja spells," she told him patiently.

He nodded and focused on the show again, determined to get a grasp of complicated challenge rules. Then he noticed that Juvia was shyly, but persistently navigating inch by inch closer to him, trying hard not to look in his direction. He glanced at her, observing her progress, and when she came close enough, he just put his arm around her, gently pulling her closer, her back to his chest.

The girl froze, surprised, and he glimpsed a wildly flushed cheek through the curtain of her hair. But then she exhaled slowly and leaned more into him. „Are you happy now?" he asked quietly.

He felt her shuddering through the blanket. „J-Juvia... has never been happier." she whispered, bowing her head.

„Really? You just need a hug?" It seemed kind of sad to him. She nodded shyly, so he embraced her tighter and pressed his cheek to the top of her head. „Maybe I should do this more often, then."

„Would – would you?"

„I might," he murmured in her hair. „From time to time."

„That would be so good," she whispered, relaxing in his arms completely. Her warmth permeated him, but now it didn't feel bad at all. He smiled slightly and turned his attention back to show.

„I don't get it, Juvia," he complained after a few minutes. „What's wrong with his crumble? It seems perfectly right to me."

„Ah?" Juvia whimpered. „What – what were you saying, Gray-sama?"

„The crumble. What is wrong with it?" he repeated patiently.

„J-Juvia wasn't really paying attention..." she admitted, her tone embarrassed, but at the same time full of bliss. „She's... distracted... Uhm..."

„Distracted?" Gray raised his head only to see her reddening ear. He put his mouth closer to it. „Exactly how distracted are you?" he whispered softly.

Juvia jumped a bit and started to fidget. „Oh, Gray-sama... very, very distracted..."

He turned the show off and delicately pulled her chin to make her face him. „That's bad, if you can't focus," he told her, frowning. „You should try at least."

„Y-yes, Juvia will try..." she promised quickly, looking at him with wide eyes, half in awe and half in terror.

„Maybe on something else," he continued. „It should be easier for you." He leaned to her and gently pressed his lips to hers. Juvia tensed in shock, but he stroked her shoulder and she gradually calmed down, shyly kissing him back.

Then he just went back to their earlier position and turned the show back on. Juvia shuddered against him.

„Gray-sama?" she said quietly after a few minutes. „Did – did you just kiss Juvia...?"

„Oh, I don't know," he said nonchalantly. „Maybe I did. You're not sure yourself?"

„Juvia has a fever..." she complained weakly.

„But I told you to focus," he reminded her, embracing her tighter.

„S-sorry..."

„It's okay," he assured her. „Don't worry. We'll try once more."

„Ah?" she whimpered, surprised, but he was already pulling her down on pillows, still tightly clad in her blanket cocoon. „You're focused now?" he asked her, brushing her disheveled hair out of her face.

„Wha-what did you say, Gray-sama?" she asked, looking utterly puzzled.

„I will wait," he told her. „You make sure you're inhabiting current time-space continuum."

Juvia just stared at him for a minute or two, then buried her face in his chest. Gray patiently stroked her hair.

"So," he said after a good while. "How about now, are you focused?"

She raised her chin to look at him. "J-Juvia isn't sure what... what's happening."

"This," he told her and gently kissed her forehead. "And this," he said, kissing the tip of her nose. "And this," he added, leaning to kiss her lips.

She went completely motionless and just looked at him with gleaming eyes, full of warmth and love. And he wasn't scared at all, he didn't know why; he just wanted to make her happy.

"W-why?" she asked quietly.

He shrugged. "Does it matter?" he whispered. He kissed her again, deeper and longer this time, touching her soft tongue with his. She was very warm, but he didn't really care.

She whimpered quietly and he kissed her again, and again, and some more, caressing her through the blanket. "Gray-sama..." she protested weakly. "You will catch a cold..."

"I won't," he said. "I'm sure." He kissed her eyelids and cheeks and the lobe of her ear. He thought she smelled like the sea, and she tasted salty too."Are you tired?" he asked her, helping her to loosen the blanket wrapped around her.

"No," she told him, her voice filled with bliss. "Juvia isn't..."

But he saw her eyes growing cloudy and her breath getting slower. "It's okay, you just sleep now." he assured her, stroking her head and back.

"No," she pleaded. "Don't stop, Gray-sama."

So he leaned into her and kissed her once more, and she kissed him back with all the remnants of her strength. Then she felt limp and closed her eyes, and he just embraced her in her exhausted slumber, still messing with her hair.

He wondered if later he'll feel the urge her to tell her it was all hallucination.

Maybe not, he thought. Maybe she'll be a good girl like today, and he won't be afraid anymore. Maybe he'll just want more of it, he mused, slowly falling asleep beside her.

And next day, of course, he went down with a cold.

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><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>Thanks for reading! I'll be grateful for any feedback. Also, if you had time to point out my mistakes, it would be very helpful - English is not my mother tongue, but I'd like to improve :)


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